Illinois SOS Motorcycle Practice Test 31

  • Questions25
  • Correct to pass20
  • Passing score80%
  • Minimum age16 years

Minimum age: 16 years; applicants aged 16 or 17 must also complete an IDOT-approved motorcycle training course

25 questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why; you need 20 correct answers to pass.

  1. 1. Which headlight setting should you use in dense fog?

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    Answer B: Low beams

    High beams reflect off the water droplets in fog and bounce glare back at you, while low beams aim downward and light the road without that mirror effect.

  2. 2. What does a posted speed limit sign represent?

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    Answer B: The maximum speed permitted under ideal conditions

    A speed limit is an upper limit that assumes good weather, good visibility and light traffic, so the safe speed is often lower than the posted figure.

  3. 3. You are traveling beside another vehicle on a multilane highway at nearly the same speed. Why is this a poor position?

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    Answer B: You may be sitting in that driver's blind spot with nowhere to go if they move over

    Driving alongside removes your side escape route and often puts you where the other driver cannot see you. Speed up or drop back to open space beside you.

  4. 4. Unless otherwise posted, what is the Illinois speed limit in an alley?

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    Answer D: 15 miles per hour

    Illinois sets 15 miles per hour as the default speed limit in alleys unless a different limit is posted.

  5. 5. Your vehicle has stalled on railroad tracks and no train is in sight. After getting everyone away, whom should you call first?

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    Answer B: The railroad emergency number posted on the blue sign at the crossing, giving the crossing number

    Every public crossing has a blue emergency notification sign with a phone number and a crossing identification number. That call lets the railroad stop or slow trains before they reach you.

  6. 6. The lane you are in is marked with a straight arrow and a right-turn arrow together. What does that mean?

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    Answer D: Drivers in that lane may either go straight or turn right

    A lane marked with two arrows serves both movements, so a driver in it may take either one.

  7. 7. Why is parking against the flow of traffic dangerous even when nobody complains?

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    Answer D: Because you had to cross traffic to get there and must cross again to leave

    Parking on the wrong side means driving against traffic at both ends of the stop, and your reflectors and lights face the wrong way while you are there.

  8. 8. After the leader of a staggered group completes a pass, what should the leader do?

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    Answer A: Move to the left position and hold passing speed to open room for the next rider

    Returning to the left position and keeping speed opens the gap the next rider needs to finish the pass and settle back into formation.

  9. 9. What should you do as you approach your exit from a roundabout?

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    Answer A: Signal right and check the crosswalk for pedestrians before leaving

    A right signal tells following drivers and waiting drivers that you are leaving, and pedestrians cross at the exit leg, so the crosswalk must be checked.

  10. 10. Under the Illinois statutory summary suspension law, how long is a first offender suspended for failing a chemical test versus refusing one?

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    Answer B: Six months for failing the test and one year for refusing it

    A first offender in Illinois faces a six-month suspension for a chemical test disclosing .08 or more and a one-year suspension for refusing the test.

  11. 11. Which effect appears as a drinker's blood alcohol level climbs well past the first drinks?

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    Answer D: Loss of muscle control and steady steering

    Higher levels of alcohol reach the parts of the brain that control movement, which shows up as clumsy steering, late braking and poor lane control.

  12. 12. A police officer is directing traffic at an intersection and waves you through a red light. What should you do?

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    Answer C: Follow the officer, whose directions come before signs and signals

    Directions given by a police officer or an authorized flagger override signs, signals and pavement markings.

  13. 13. A regulatory sign posted at the start of a road reads LENGTH LIMIT 30 FEET. What does it control?

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    Answer B: The overall length of vehicle allowed on that road

    Some states post a length limit where tight curves or narrow structures lie ahead; it bars vehicles or combinations longer than the figure shown from using that road.

  14. 14. You are on an entrance ramp merging onto a freeway. Who has to give way?

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    Answer B: You must yield and fit into a gap in the traffic already on the freeway

    Traffic entering a highway must yield to traffic already on it. Use the acceleration lane to match speed and merge into a gap.

  15. 15. Which statement best describes what the basic speed law requires of you?

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    Answer C: That you never drive faster than is reasonable and safe for the conditions

    Nearly every state has a basic speed law that makes the conditions the real limit: weather, traffic, light and road surface can all require a speed well below the posted number.

  16. 16. What is the correct order of actions when passing a vehicle on a two lane road?

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    Answer D: Signal, check the mirrors and blind spot, pass in the left lane, signal and return

    The rider signals and checks behind before moving out, completes the pass in the passing lane, then signals and checks again before returning.

  17. 17. What range of driver's license suspension can follow an Illinois Scott's Law conviction, depending on severity?

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    Answer B: 90 days to 2 years

    A Scott's Law conviction in Illinois can carry a license suspension ranging from 90 days to 2 years depending on the severity of the violation.

  18. 18. You are waiting in a center two-way left-turn lane. What should you expect from oncoming traffic?

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    Answer A: Oncoming drivers may enter the same lane to prepare their own left turns

    Both directions share a two-way left-turn lane, so an oncoming vehicle may be waiting in it and you must never treat it as yours alone.

  19. 19. Snow has covered the pavement markings on a two-lane road. How should a driver judge lane position?

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    Answer B: By the tracks of other traffic and the roadside features

    With the markings hidden, ruts left by earlier traffic, signs, poles and the line of the shoulder are the best clues to where the lane runs.

  20. 20. You must slow down in a curve but there is no room to straighten the motorcycle. What should you do?

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    Answer A: Brake gently at first and reduce the lean angle as your speed comes down

    Braking and turning compete for the same traction, so brake pressure has to stay light while lean angle is high and can grow as the machine comes upright.

  21. 21. Your left-turn lane faces a steady green ball and oncoming traffic is heavy. What are you allowed to do?

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    Answer C: Move into the intersection and turn when a safe gap appears

    A green ball permits the turn but gives no priority, so you may move into the intersection and wait there for a gap in the oncoming traffic.

  22. 22. You are descending a long steep grade with a loaded truck close behind you. What should you do?

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    Answer A: Hold a steady speed and let it pass when it can

    Gravity pushes a loaded truck downhill and it cannot slow quickly, so give it a predictable speed and room to get by rather than braking in front of it.

  23. 23. Why is parking too close to a street corner prohibited?

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    Answer D: Because it hides approaching traffic and pedestrians

    A vehicle parked at a corner blocks the view that both drivers and pedestrians need before entering the intersection.

  24. 24. You must park on soft ground or on asphalt softened by heat. What should you do about the sidestand?

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    Answer A: Put a flat, firm object under the stand to spread the load

    A sidestand concentrates the weight of the machine onto a very small area, and on soft ground it sinks in until the motorcycle falls over.

  25. 25. The signal turns green as you approach an intersection. What is the safest practice?

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    Answer B: Look left, then right, then left again, and make sure the intersection is clear before entering

    A green light gives permission but does not guarantee the intersection is empty, and a quick scan catches a vehicle running the red or a pedestrian still crossing.